| Special Events in September:
WHAT MAKES A CARTOON CARTOONY: AN IN-PERSON TRIBUTE TO
JOHN KRICFALUSI!
September 7 - 8, 2004
John Kricfalusi is the animated
cartoon’s modern pioneer. With his landmark 1991 TV series "Ren &
Stimpy," featuring the demented, wildly anti-social and hilariously inappropriate
antics of the two title characters, Canadian-born animator John Kricfalusi (b. 1955)
kicked modern cartooning in its underpants, starting a myriad of trends: the gross-out
subversive cartoon ("Beavis and Butthead," "South Park"), the
thick-lined flat retro cartoon ("Dexter’s Lab," "Fairly Odd
Parents," etc.), the caricatured revival of classic characters cartoon ("Boo Boo
Runs Wild," "The Flintstones On The Rocks"). After revolutionizing TV
cartoons, Kricfalusi followed up by inventing internet cartoons in 1996 with "The
Goddamn George Liquor Program" and developed the techniques for Flash animation that
are used at practically every studio today.
Kricfalusi started his career during the dark-ages of cartoons. In the 80s, he worked
on such "crap" (as he calls it) as "The Smurfs," "Laverne and
Shirley In The Army" and other Saturday Morning Cartoons being churned out by the
animation factories. During this depressing period, he and other disgruntled cartoonists
developed and pitched his own cartoon creations. His frantic and extremely sweaty pitches
terrified network executives.
Luckily for Kricfalusi and the animation world, Ralph Bakshi discovered John in 1987
and hired him to direct CBS’ Bakshi’s "Mighty Mouse." This was the
cartoon that started the so-called ‘creator-driven’ revolution. Kricfalusi hired
a crew of artists that, like him, were dissatisfied with the formula cartoons they were
forced to work on at other studios. Kricfalusi developed a production system based on the
classic cartoon system of the 40s, but adapted it to the realities of TV production.
Bakshi’s "Mighty Mouse" became the foundation of not only the creative
revolution that followed, but also gave the industry the mechanism that would allow it to
happen. It put the artists back in charge for the first time in 30 years. Two years later,
"Ren and Stimpy" debuted and the revolution was in full swing.
We're thrilled to welcome animator John Kricfalusi to the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at
the Egyptian for a special two-night tribute. The first night is a retrospective of
Kricfalusi’s work, including an uncensored episode of Bakshi’s "Mighty
Mouse," "Boo Boo Runs Wild," commercials, webtoons and some brand-new,
no-holds-barred "Ren and Stimpy" cartoons with NAKED GIRLS made for Spike TV.
This will be followed by a question and answer period… and you will meet some of
John’s co-horts. Also you will see the birth of Ren and Stimpy’s first child in
"Stimpy’s Pregnant" - !
The second night, Kricfalusi presents the classic cartoons that inspired him. These are
the greatest cartoons ever made! Clampett, Fleischers, Jones, Avery, Lantz and Terrytoons.
John will introduce the films and tell how they inspired him. You will laugh! Followed by
question and answer period.
To see photos & clips of what will be shown, click here!
Tuesday, September 7 – 8:00 PM
"John Kricfalusi Tribute: Ren & Stimpy, New &
Old"
"Naked Beach Frenzy" (20 min.) Ren and Stimpy are bathroom attendants in
the girls’ shower room at a topless, sometimes bottomless beach. Ren’s lusts are
kept in check by the hairiest, most outraged lifeguard in the world. Special appearance by
Shampoo Master and his magic spurting dispenser.; "Stimpy’s Pregnant" (30
min.) This just might be the greatest moment in television history: Stimpy delivers the
long-awaited full-onscreen birth of Ren’s child. Full of trauma, love and sincere
disregard for the FCC.; "Altruists" (40 min.) Ren and Stimpy help a poor
widow and her idiot child in distress. John K.’s tribute to The Three Stooges has
more jokes per second than any other Ren and Stimpy cartoon. Plus: "Mighty’s
Benefit Plan" (Bakshi Mighty Mouse) (11 min.); "Big House Blues"
(uncut) (8 min.); "Old Navy Commercials etc." (5 min.); "Weekend
Pussy Hunt episode" (12 min.); "What Pee Boners are for" (3
min.); and "Boo Boo Runs Wild" (20 min.). [Approx. 2 hrs. total.]
Animator John Kricfalusi will appear for Q&A during
program (schedule permitting).
Wednesday, September 8 - 8:00 PM
"John Kricfalusi Tribute: John presents Classic Cartoons"
Kricfalusi's personal selection of some of the greatest cartoons ever made from the
glory days of Warner Bros., the Fleischer Studios, MGM, Walter Lantz and more! Animator John Kricfalusi will appear for Q&A during program
(schedule permitting).
Thursday, September 9 – 7:30 PM
Alternative Screen Independent Film
Showcase:
Co-presented with LA.com. & with the
support of the Los Angeles Conservancy
Pre-Screening Party for
All Ticket Buyers at 6 PM in the Courtyard.
Sneak Preview! LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF, 2003, 169 min., USA. Dir. Thom
Andersen. A must see for Los Angeles history buffs and cinema enthusiasts who will marvel
at the hundreds of archival and film clips revealing an almost secret history of the City
of Angels! "This cinematic essay focuses on the discrepancy between the lived in
urban reality of Los Angeles and its various century-deep cinematic mythologies, the movie
is about more than just what the movies get wrong. It’s about the way the imaginary
space of cinema intrudes upon the actual space of our lives, so that the L.A. of the
movies becomes a kind of separate urban reality unto itself." – Toronto Star. Discussion following with filmmaker Thom Andersen.
Thursday, September 16 – 7:30 PM
L.A. Premiere!!
HENRI LANGLOIS, THE PHANTOM OF THE
CINEMATHEQUE (LE FANTOME D'HENRI LANGLOIS), 2004, 210 min. Fresh from its world
premiere at Cannes this year, director Jacques Richard’s mammoth, 3-1/2 hour
portrait of the founder and guiding visionary of the Cinémathèque Française, Henri
Langlois, is an absolute must-see for film lovers. Featuring a fascinating wealth of
archival footage, including interviews with Godard, Truffaut, Chabrol and others, the film
traces Langlois’ heroic efforts to save world film culture, from the
Cinematheque’s founding in the 1930s, to its tenacious survival during the WWII Nazi
occupation (Simone Signoret recalls carrying contraband prints around in a baby carriage),
to its enormous influence on the French New Wave of the 1950s, and to the titanic battles
for control of the organization in the late 1960s, when Langlois’ removal prompted
demonstrations and even rioting in the streets of Paris. "A labor of love made
over the course of seven years that crucially matches the energy and passion Langlois
himself embodied." – Todd McCarthy, Variety
Friday, September 17 – 8:00 PM Friday,
September 24 – 8:00 PM
Friday, October 1 – 8:00 PM
Friday, October 8 – 8:00 PM
[Spielberg Theatre]
OSCAR SHORTS – This is
probably your last chance to see this fine selection of 2004’s nominated and winning
short films selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Florian Baxmeyer’s "Die Rote Jake" ("The Red Jacket," 18
min.) A boy finds a discarded jacket in war-torn Sarajevo. Adam Elliott’s Animation Winner! "Harvie Krumpet" (22
min.) Funny, moving look at our title character. Stefan Arsenijevic’s "Torzija"
(14 min.) A choir in Sarajevo is asked to do something other than sing. Chris
Hinton’s "Nibbles" (4 min.) Animated tale of a family fishing trip
in the forests of Canada. Lionel Bailliu’s "Squash" (27 min.) The
game of squash is a metaphor for all kinds of power struggles in this powerful, funny
short. Kimberly Miner’s 2003 Student Academy Award
Winner Animation! "Perpetual Motion" (2 min.)
Combining cats and jelly toast yields surprising results. Filmmaker
Chris Donahue will appear for discussion on Oct. 8.
Saturday, September 18
Egyptian Theatre Historic Tours &
FOREVER HOLLYWOOD
10:30 AM Behind the Scenes Tour
11:30 AM, 2:00 PM & 3:30 PM FOREVER
HOLLYWOOD
Sunday, September 19
Egyptian Theatre Historic Tours &
FOREVER HOLLYWOOD
10:30 AM Behind the Scenes Tour
11:30 AM, 2:00 PM & 3:30 PM FOREVER
HOLLYWOOD
Sunday, September 19 – 5:00 PM
Max Rosenberg Memorial Tribute [Free Event]
Please join us for a special tribute to a dear friend of the
American Cinematheque, legendary producer Max Rosenberg, who passed away on June 14th
in Los Angeles after a short illness. Co-founder of Amicus Productions, Max brought his
superb literary taste, hard-headed business savvy and a devilish flair for the surreal and
the absurd to such genre classics as TALES FROM THE CRYPT, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD
and DR. TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS, pioneering rock & pop music films ROCK ROCK
ROCK and IT’S TRAD DAD, as well as fascinating non-genre movies including THE
BIRTHDAY PARTY (based on Harold Pinter’s stage play) and LANGRISHE GO DOWN. Over the
past few years, Cinematheque audiences had the pleasure, and occasionally, the shock, of
hearing Max bluntly and hilariously hold court about his colorful career.
Born in 1914 in the Bronx, the son of "Manhattan’s least
successful furrier" as he liked to quip, Max worked initially as a lawyer before
breaking into the film industry in 1943 with the nostalgic compilation film THE GOOD OLD
DAYS. He later formed a distribution company with Joseph E. Levine, bringing such arthouse
classics as THE BLUE ANGEL and OPEN CITY to the U.S. for the first time. In the mid-1950s,
Max hooked up with partner Milton Subotsky and together they produced the teen drive-in
hit ROCK ROCK ROCK and co-produced (with Hammer Films) the seminal gothic chiller THE
CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Max and Milton founded Amicus Productions in 1962 and relocated to
England, where the available talent pool of actors, writers and technicians, and the tax
incentives for independent producers, provided a fertile climate. Amicus
("friendship" in Latin) became, along with A.I.P., Hammer and Tigon, one of the
most consistently successful producers of horror films throughout the 1960s and into the
‘70s. While Amicus worked in many different styles, their forte was the anthology
horror film, beginning with DR. TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS in 1964. Amicus prided
themselves on working with established actors such as Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee,
Burgess Meredith, Jack Palance and Joan Collins, while also giving breaks to up-and-coming
stars including Donald Sutherland and Terence Stamp. Psycho author Robert Bloch was
brought in to script a number of the best Amicus films. The company also fostered young
filmmakers such as Richard Lester (IT’S TRAD, DAD) and William Friedkin (THE BIRTHDAY
PARTY). Eventually Max and Milton went their separate ways in the late 1970s, and Max
continued working on low-budget genre films such as BLOODY BIRTHDAY and HOMEWORK, and
overseeing the rich legacy of the Amicus Films catalogue, which has recently seen a
renaissance through DVD release of such titles as THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD.
With his mischievous smile, his elegant fashion sense and his
treasure trove of anecdotes from over six decades in the film business, Max was an
unforgettable figure. In an increasingly cookie-cutter industry dominated by big budget,
visual F/X-driven blockbusters, Max’s movies, and his sensibility, seem refreshingly
hand-crafted. He will be sorely missed. Please join us for a screening of two of
Max’s best films, introduced by friends and family:
SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN,
1970, MGM/UA, 95 min. Dir. Gordon Hessler. The London police’s investigation
of brutal murders by a mod, superhuman vampire (Michael Gothard) leads to the discovery of
a vast conspiracy – and mad scientist Vincent Price’s
stolen-organs-and-limbs experiments. A moody, fast-paced thriller that delivers, as the
movie poster promises, "Triple distilled horror…as powerful as a vat of boiling
acid!" Watch for underrated British rock group The Amen Corner wailing the great
title tune in a creepy scene in a cavernous club. With Christopher Lee, Peter
Cushing, Judy Huxtable.
AND
THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD,
1970, Rearguard Prod., 101 min. Dir. Peter Duffell. Delightfully wicked,
four-part horror film about the evil goings-on in an English country house. Peter
Cushing stars as a lonely widower who becomes obsessed with a female waxworks figure,
followed by Christopher Lee as a father terrified that his sweet daughter is
actually a witch, and "Dr. Who’s" Jon Pertwee as a melodramatic horror star
who inherits the real Dracula’s cape. With Ingrid Pitt, Denholm Elliott, Joss
Ackland. [There is no admission charge for this event.]
Monday, September 20 – 7:30 PM
A Night With Christopher Walken
and AROUND THE BEND
Please join us for a special evening with one of American
cinema’s finest actors, Christopher Walken, featuring a special Sneak Preview of his
latest film:
AROUND THE BEND, 2004, Warner
Independent Pictures, 85 min. Director Jordan Roberts, inspired by his relationship
to his father whom he hardly knew, penned this quirky family drama, the story of four
generations of men who are suddenly brought together by the chance to uncover the truth
about their family’s past. The globe-trotting wife of mild-mannered bank employee
Jason (Josh Lucas) takes off for Nepal, leaving him to care for their six-year-old son
Zach (Jonah Bobo) and ailing grandfather Henry (Academy Award winner Michael Caine).
When Jason’s notorious estranged father and Henry’s son, Turner (Oscar winner Christopher
Walken) pay the family an unexpected visit, nothing is "simple" or
"normal" in Jason’s life anymore. In the coming days, the four men will
embark on a trip not only through the mythic beauty of the Desert Southwest, but across
the family’s own rocky emotional landscape. Discussion
following with actor Christopher Walken (schedule permitting).
Wednesday, September 22 – 7:30 PM
L.A. Premiere of New Documentary:
DZIGA & HIS BROTHERS,
2002, Seagull Films, 52 min. Director Yevgeni Tsymbal's brilliant documentary
profiles "perhaps the most talented brothers in the history of cinema," the
three Kaufman brothers: David, Moisey and Boris. David is better known as "Dziga
Vertov," the legendary Soviet film genius who made MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA. Mikhail
(Moisey) worked with his older brother as cinematographer on MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA until
they quarreled and he too became a director, helming the underrated MOSCOW and IN SPRING.
Baby Boris (who grew up sadly separated from his famous older brothers) went first to
France, collaborating with Jean Vigo as d.p. on L’ATALANTE, and then to America where
he won an Oscar for shooting ON THE WATERFRONT. The documentary uses wonderful archival
footage to trace the brothers’ roots from the Jewish Polish town Bialystok to their
amazing individual careers as filmmakers.
AND
L’ATALANTE, 1934, New Yorker
Films, 89 min. Director Jean Vigo’s luminous, heartbreakingly poetic
masterpiece surely belongs on any short list of the greatest films ever made. An innocent
country girl (Dita Parlo) leaves her home and family behind when she marries the captain
(Jean Dasté) of a barge plying the inland canals of France. Vigo’s tender portrait
of the joys and uncertainties of young married life has never been equaled. The superb
cinematography by Boris Kaufman and Louis Berger remains a high watermark of 1930s French
cinema.
Thursday, September 23 - 8:00 PM
Alternative Screen Independent Film Showcase
L.A. Premiere!!
PROTEUS, 2003, 60 min. Over 20 years in
the making, this visually astonishing "animated documentary" uses the writings
and phenomenally beautiful drawings of microscopic sea organisms by 19th
century artist & biologist Ernst Haeckel as a prism to interpret a vast range of
scientific, literary and social changes during that century, from "The Rime of the
Ancient Mariner" to Sigmund Freud. Quite unlike any documentary you’ve ever seen
before, this is the first feature from noted anthropological filmmaker David Lebrun.
A selection of this year’s Sundance Film Festival and winner of several 2004 Best
Documentary awards. Discussion following with filmmaker David
Lebrun.
[This screening is presented in conjunction with the David Lebrun
Retrospective, presented by L.A. Filmforum (9/12 & 9/26) at the Spielberg Theatre at
the Egyptian. For more information, please check www.lafilmforum.org.]
Sunday, September 26 – 3:00 PM
Japanese Pop Culture Screening
+ Seminar [FREE EVENT]
Co-presented with The Consulate General
of Japan and The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles.
The past few years have seen an explosion of interest in Japanese
pop culture in the U.S. not seen since the days of Godzilla and Kimba the White Lion in
the 1960s. From the phenomenal popularity of anime TV shows and features (everything from
"Yu-gi-oh" and "Cowboy Bebop" to SPIRITED AWAY and METROPOLIS), to
dark, subversive live-action films (AUDITION, JU-ON), from pop music groups like Pizzicato
Five to the acclaimed Super Flat art movement to cross-cultural magazines like "Giant
Robot," Japanese art, fashion and entertainment are providing an amazingly fertile
stream of influences for American pop culture (and of course, responding in kind by
incorporating elements from our culture). Please join us for a wide-ranging discussion
that will touch on all areas of the cross-cultural exchange between Japan and America,
leading off with a screening of:
METROPOLIS, 2001, Toho/Columbia
Pictures, 107 min. Dir. Rintaro (aka Shigeyuki Hayashi). Based on a classic manga by the
late, great Osamu Tezuka (with whom Rintaro worked on such 1960s classics as
"Astro-Boy" and "Kimba"), METROPOLIS is not a remake of the legendary
Fritz Lang silent – although it’s not without similarities. In an enormous,
retro-future city where robots and androids do most of the work, there is nonetheless
great unrest. The government is really a tool of the evil billionaire Duke Red, and the
seeds of rebellion grow underground. Stir into this crucible of turbulence a young man,
his detective uncle, a youthful assassin, and an angelic blonde who doesn’t realize
just what she really is, and the result is as compelling as it is eye-popping, and as
unusual as the Swing-era music on the soundtrack. Do not miss this rare opportunity to see
and hear the original Japanese version with subtitles! "METROPOLIS is the new
milestone in anime, a spectacular fusion of c.g. background with traditional character
animation. It has beauty, power, mystery and above all ... heart. Images from this film
will stay with you forever. My congratulations to Rintaro-san for his masterpiece."
– James Cameron
The screening will be followed by a 90 minute round-table panel
discussion with participants including Eric Nakamura, co-editor of "Giant Robot"
magazine; Roy Lee, producer of the U.S. remake of THE RING; Yaz Noya of Tofu Records;
Rhona Medina of Tokyo Pop; Teresa Watanabe, journalist for the L.A. Times; Chris D.,
American Cinematheque programmer and author of the book Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film;
and Dr. Ronald Morse, Tokyo Foundation Professor of Japan Studies at the Univ. of Nevada
– moderated by Cinematheque Programming Manager Dennis Bartok.
[Please note: There is no admission charge for this
event; tickets available at the box office on a first-come, first-served basis.]
Tuesday, September 28 – 7:30 PM
Kodak/Cannes Short
Film Showcase – Presented in association with Kodak, a visually stunning
selection of award-winning shorts from the Kodak Emerging Filmmaker showcase at the 2004
Cannes Film Festival. Kimberly Miner’s "Perpetual Motion" (1 min.) A
device is created by the combination of two popular maxims. Waleed Moursi’s "The
Projects Lumiere" (2 min.) A modern day look at an old Lumiere Brothers style of
filmmaking. Mun Chee Yong’s "9:30" (13 min.) A lonely man from
Singapore who escaped his love by fleeing to Los Angeles, but still calls her at the same
time each day. Gustavo Hernandez Perez’s "The Mexican Dream" (26
min.) A Mexican immigrant, desperate not only for a better way of life, but also stardom,
makes the decision to cross dress to be treated with respect. Michelle Oznowicz’s
"Sour Mix" (26 min.) A sixteen year old girl’s life is turned upside
down when she has to live with her wealthy, estranged father. Melba Williams’ "One
Thousand Words" (8 min.) The filmmaker’s personal journey of uncovering
family history through old home movies, photos and interviews. John Fiege’s "Bebe"
( 9 min.) A young girl’s father is more interested in enlightenment than in her.
Karen Skloss’ "Smitten" (11 min.) A 13-year-old girl deals with the
repercussions of her first sexual encounter. Pablo Gonzalez & Marcos Rostagno’s
"La Ciudad de los Hombres Lactantes" ("The City of the Suckling
Men," 13 min.) Our lead character has a strange obsession he discusses with his
psychiatrist. Andrew Chan’s "Drizzle" (3 min.) A young boy meets
family members and they all discover changes. Discussion
following with filmmakers Waleed Moursi ("The Projects Lumiere"), Mun Chee Yong
("9:30"), Gustavo Hernandez Perez ("The Mexican Dream"), &
Michelle Oznowicz ("Sour Mix"). [American Cinematheque members
will be admitted for free to this screening. Tickets will be available on the day of the
screening, on a first-come, first-served basis.]
Program compiled by Andrew P. Crane. |
